captainship
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cap·tain
(kăp′tən)n.
1. One who commands, leads, or guides others, especially:
a. The officer in command of a ship, aircraft, or spacecraft.
b. A precinct commander in a police or fire department, usually ranking above a lieutenant and below a chief.
c. The designated leader of a team or crew in sports.
2.
a. A commissioned rank in the US Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps that is above first lieutenant and below major.
b. A commissioned rank in the US Navy or Coast Guard that is above commander and below rear admiral.
c. One who holds the rank of captain.
3. A figure in the forefront; a leader: a captain of industry.
4. One who supervises or directs the work of others, especially:
a. A district official for a political party.
b. A restaurant employee who is in charge of the waiters and usually attends to table seating.
c. A bell captain.
tr.v. cap·tained, cap·tain·ing, cap·tains
To act as captain of; command or direct: captained the football team.
[Middle English capitain, from Old French, from Late Latin capitāneus, chief, from Latin caput, capit-, head; see kaput- in Indo-European roots.]
cap′tain·cy, cap′tain·ship′ n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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